Saturday marks 1 week since deadly Midwood fire

Saturday is usually a day of reflection and relaxation for the Jewish community, but many are still reeling from the fire that claimed the lives of seven children a week ago.

Officials say a malfunctioning hot plate sparked a fire that swept through the two-story home on Bedford Avenue. Many in the Orthodox Jewish community use hot plates or crockpots to heat their food on the Sabbath since they are forbidden from operating electrical appliances.

Officials also say the brick house did not have smoke detectors on the first or second floors.

The tragedy has since spurred local leaders to push to increased fire safety. Borough Park Assemblyman Dov Hikind handed out 200 smoke detectors in the community this past week. He told residents to carefully check appliances and to only use ones that are reliable.

Borough President Eric Adams unveiled a fire safety app called Fire Sonar. It uses smartphones to listen for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, alerting residents of an emergency.

A funeral was held last Sunday for the Sassoon siblings. They were then flown to Israel for burial.